


Seven Years of Feathers and Fur

by storiesfromthesky



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Brothers, Canon Compliant, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Hogwarts, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), POV Alternating, Pre-Canon, Pre-Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Quidditch, Siblings, Sirius Black & James Potter Friendship, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, jily, wolfstar?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-14 20:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18483595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfromthesky/pseuds/storiesfromthesky
Summary: Before the Marauders were friends, they only had themselves. Sirius has been a family outcast from a young age. Remus has never known the true meaning of friendship, and isn't sure if he ever will. James, as fortunate as he is, has never met anyone quite like him. And for once in his life, Peter would like to stop being ignored. This is their story, from the very beginning, as a chronicle of building lasting friendships and mending broken hearts.*This story is meant to be as accurate and canon-compliant as possible, using the canon  (meaning I will try my best not to stray from canon), Pottermore info, and JKR interviews (but not recent ones, lol). The plot follows as though this is 7 years in order, but I may have to break it into multiple books.**I will do chapters in Peter's POV, but it won't happen as much as the other Marauders. Chapters will not be told from Lily's or Snape's perspective.CURRENT YEAR: First Year





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a WIP fanfic I started writing about two years ago. The first few chapters will probably be a bit small or not very complex, but the writing will get better later on as I write new chapters now. Enjoy!
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated! :)

**SIRIUS**

Sirius Black had never been a normal pure-blood.

Growing up in the Black Family household never felt like a luxury and was always a chore. Particularly under the watch of Walbuga Black, Sirius and his younger brother Regulus were deprived of all manners of interest, and instead were taught to act like distant royalty. Each member of the family was graceful, well-read, and at first glance appeared to be a member of high society. No one complained or questioned it, for this is how most pure-blood families behaved, especially during the time when the first wizarding war was about to break. But they were intolerant and biased as well; the Blacks allowed for no discussion or argument on their blood status.

And Sirius, of course, despised it all. 

He had never quite understood the glory which is supposed to come with pure-blood status, and as he grew up, he noticed his values were generally different than those of his mother's. Walburga and Orion Black were, you could say, rather pompous and irrational when it came to wizard purity. Sirius, on the other hand, did not see what the big deal was, and often had a hard time confining himself to the standard Black family rules. 

By the time he was eleven, he had already experienced little spurts of magic here and there, and the biggest of which occurred in mid-July at the breakfast table.

 Kreacher, the frail house-elf, was serving the family as the they sat together in silence; the only one who was permitted to talk first was the woman of the house.

Finally, Walburga spoke. "Did you hear about what the Malfoys experienced the other month?" she asked her husband, as Sirius and Regulus received their plates. "They were on their way to Diagon Alley, through that _Muggle_ street – their floo needs repairing, you know – and there was a _Muggle_ , near that brick wall, the one on _that_ street..." She placed her fork down on her plate, as if she were going to take a bite, but realized she needed to finish her gossip. "Not that _we_ would ever have a reason to go there... but _it_ asked Abraxas his reason for being at the wall...." She trailed off as if waiting for a nasty interjection. 

Sirius took a sip of water from a glass and swallowed. Before he spoke, nobody had anything to say. "A Muggle wouldn't have known," he  said quietly into his drink.

His mother tightened her jaw, which caused everyone to turn and stare at him. "What was that, Sirius?" she prodded me coldly, barely even uttering the words, but he heard her without difficulty. 

In reply, Sirius cleared his throat. "I said... a Muggle wouldn't've known if he was a pure-blood, or a wizard, even. I mean, they don't think we exist, yeah?"

Before he could decide that he had made a bad choice, Regulus, who sat across from him, gasped. But Sirius knew it was about to get worse from there.

"How dare you speak back to me," his mother said sharply, as though she were disappointed. "Muggles are filth, dear. Whatever gave you the vulgarity of thinking otherwise was an untrustworthy source." She didn't dare take her eyes off of her eldest, while he did the same for her. The father looked as though he wanted to either slap Sirius or hold him down, and Regulus was trembling at the thought of getting punished for such an outburst. Sirius knew his brother would have never make such a comment, and had the gift of forseeing whether or not their mother would burst. 

Anger growing inside him, Sirius was about to reply, _That source was my common sense, mother!_ , but decided against it. Instead, he replied, " _Fine, I'm sorry,_ forget I even said anything." He paused and listened to his mother's breathing before asking, "May I be excused, then?" 

"Sirius Orion Black," his mother warned, her icy voice rising. She pointed a long-nailed finger at him. "You _will not_ speak to me that way, and I will _not_ let you leave this conversation! You will stay here." 

"Well, what if I don't _want_ to stay here?" he shouted back, slamming his fists on the table. The hit was so hard that the glasses and silverware shook, and the plates clattered against the expensive wood. He later realized that their movement was caused by my adolescent magic, making the objects continue to spin as he spoke. "I never _asked_ to be in this family, you know –"

"SIRIUS!" his mother finally screeched, her eyes growing wide. "I _knew_ you'd be a disgrace of a son to this family – You're lucky you're still here, while _we_ have to put up with you  _every day_ –"

"I'm going to my room, Mother." 

" _I will not have it!_ " 

He was about to yell back. He opened his mouth, but as he watched the silverware spin manically in place, he took a fork and stabbed it into the table instead, to release the anger. The breakfast objects immediately stopped, and he stomped upstairs when until he heard his father and Regulus finally let out a breath.

When he reached his room, he slammed the door as hard as he could without breaking the hinges off. Sirius sulked in his room for hours, thinking about what it would be like to live as a half-blood, or even a Muggle-born. _What made us so much different from them? Is if just the money?_  There were plenty of Half-bloods, Muggle-borns, and probably even some plain Muggles who could be (and were) wiser than most pure-bloods. In his mind, he hated living the Pure-blood life. 

But none of that mattered. He just wanted to be in a family that actually _cared_.

He wanted to meet someone, for once, who understood.

* * *

 

About two hours after breakfast had ended, Sirius heard a knock on my window. Usually, he didn't get mail, and didn't know anyone who would ever want to send him anything. But then... he realized what it must've been. His heart pounded as he got up from his bed and walked over to the window, and pushed up the pane.

Standing on the outside window sill was a large brown barn owl. As Sirius smiled lightly, he let the owl flap its way onto his arm. It cooed, thanking him for letting it in, and dropped the letter into his other open hand.

The address read _To: Mr. Sirius O. Black, Second Bedroom, 12 Grimmauld, Islington._  He turned it over... and there it was – the Hogwarts crest, waxed in deep red on the back of the envelope.

After the owl climbed off his arm to rest a while on his bed stand, Sirius couldn't open the letter fast enough. He ripped it open, thanking all of the Hogwarts professors already for letting him not be a failure for once, and read the words on the parchment to myself.

_Dear Mr. Black,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

He didn't need to read any more. He had been accepted into a place that promised time away from his family for a whole year. After that, he'd have to deal with his brother at school, of course, but he wasn't worried at the moment.

"I'm going to Hogwarts..."  


	2. A Surprise Announcement

**REMUS**

There was a small, old house on the side of a mostly Muggle-born road, and around it, all of the houses seemed to be the same. All other households either included elderly couples in their later years or  young newly-weds and their small children. But in this particular house, there lived a family of three; a father, a mother, and a son who never came out to play. 

Professor Albus Dumbledore had just left this house, through their own rickety front door, and the Lupins still could not believe the news.

A plate of unfinished crumpets sat on the side table next to the glowing fireplace. Young Remus Lupin sat nearby on the floor, and around him was a mess of Gobstones accumulated from several rounds played just moments ago.

"With all respect, I see no reason why the boy shouldn't attend Hogwarts this September," Dumbledore had said, in his wise and wispy voice. He had arrived at the Lupin residence without notice, but was welcome in no time just the same. "All arrangements will be made by me, of course, in order to insure the young boy's safety.... But I assure you, we will find a safe place for his transformations to take place.... At the edge of Hogsmeade, but Remus shall be in good hands."

_I see no reason why the boy shouldn't attend Hogwarts._

Remus' mother, ever the one for the promotion of cleanliness, began to pick up the game around him, while he still sat cross-legged on the floor. He could sense she was flustered with concern and a bit of optimism for their new situation, but he also knew she wanted nothing more than to give him what he deserved, what he had been longing for – a normal life.

Lyall and Hope Lupin had given up on a Hogwarts education for their son long ago, with sadness in their hearts and flashes of concern in their minds. How would any parent ever allow for their children to attend school alongside a werewolf? Many wizards, at the time, believed werewolves were dangerous beyond measure, and should not be treated as equals withing the wizarding community (or any community but their own, for that matter). But after nearly six years of watching their only son grow into the respectable boy they had hoped he would be, despite his transformations, his parents wished with everything they had for the world to accept him for who he was.

Still in his spot in the floor, Remus mumbled, "Mum?" It took a while for her to respond. He asked her again. "Mum?"

"Yes, dear, what is it?" By her voice, she sounded distracted and didn't look her son in the eye, but Remus knew he could have asked her anything and she would reply with a positive answer.

"Do you think... Well, when should we stop by Diagon Alley?"

Mrs. Lupin smiled sadly, pausing to finally meet his eyes, and he heard his father chuckle from the other room. "Oh, Remus..." she breathed. She was kneeling on the floor now, the wooden Gobstones box in one hand, and the other gently reaching for her son's open hand. "We never thought –" She choked up a bit as tears formed in the corner of her eyes, and Remus understood why. She was going to say she and his father had never believed he would ever be accepted into Hogwarts, despite his academic interests. But with the help of Dumbledore, he was finally able to go where he'd always wanted, to do almost anything he wished, and to get chance at feeling less like an outcast. He could tell, in her eyes, that she was forever grateful for this day. 

Remus was ten years old. It was the beginning of March, just days before his eleventh birthday. That day, he wondered endlessly around the house, down the hall and in and out of his room, giddy with growing happiness; he simply didn't know what to do with himself. He was thrilled, and could not stop thinking of all the new and endless possibilities that lay ahead.

Those days, the Lupin family did not have much, but their home was a cozy one, with a basement they acessed from the backyard, which was just large enough to feel secure in.

They let the fireplace continue to burn throughout the day and into the night, and the warmth was enough to finally let their family have faith in the world once again, if only for a while. 


	3. Aboard the Train

**JAMES**

"Yeah, Mum, of course I'll be fine."

Grey steam surrounded the Potter family, coming from the Hogwarts Express a few meters away. His Mum stroked his cheek as her eyes began to mist. "I can't believe it, so soon.... My James...." she said, for the fifth time. His Dad stood close, one arm around the mother and a proud smile on his face.

"Good luck, son," he said happily. "We know you'll make us proud, don't worry."

James smiled too; in several hours, he would be sorted into Gryffindor, the house of the brave. Of course he would make them proud.

"Oh, love," his Mum said urgently, this time stroking the side of his head. "You have a bit sticking out –"

James laughed, but he couldn't have cared less about a bit of hair. "Honestly, Mum, it's fine, I'll get it later." He reached up to make like he had an itch on his neck, but really he was just making sure the back of his head was okay. "Come on, I'm going to be late. I _can't_ be late!"

Everything was packed, all James' belongings loaded onto the train already. After his Mum made sure to let him know she and Dad would write every other week, James had never been _so ready_ to leave his parents, and even though he was going to miss them (their game nights, supper conversations, and late night chats), he was moving on to what was hopefully going to be the best part of his life – Hogwarts.

Before James turned around to board the train, Dad caught his eye one last time. " _Gryffindor_?" he asked, with a playful grin.

With an identical expression, James replied, " _Where dwell the brave of heart!_ "

And with that, James was off in search of an empty compartment.

* * *

The only compartment available was one with two people already inside, both first years, from what James could tell. The first one he noticed was near the door on the left side who looked either a bit shaken or bored, just staring blankly at the empty seat in front of him. He looked like a generally nice kid... maybe James' kind of friend. James silently wondered if he liked Quidditch.

James stepped a foot through the door as a greeting, not making eye contact. "Hey, d'you mind if I...?"

"No, go ahead."

When he noticed who had spoken, he looked up and realized it was the other student – a young girl, also his age, with shoulder-length dark red hair. Their eyes met for only a second, her striking green eyes with his hazel ones, but he could tell something was upsetting her. He felt the urge to say something other than just "Thanks."

She nodded, but turned back around to stare through the window.

James sat across from the other guy before realizing they'd have to look at each other awkwardly. He noticed the other boy was wearing expensive clothes, similar to his, and a bit too formal for just a train ride to school. He shifted uncomfortably.

Looking down at his hands, James laughed quietly to himself when he discovered he had been holding tightly onto his robes bag the whole time, so he set it down to the side.

"Is that a Puddlemere United patch?" the boy asked, referring the patch James had attached on his bag before he arrived in London.

James smiled slightly, and straightened up. "Ha – yeah, it is. You follow them?"

He shook his head, but grinned while he replied, "No, I actually... I mean yeah, I do, in the Prophet, but my mother doesn't approve of them."

"Well, what's wrong with her?" James joked. "I love Puddlemere. They're the best, my whole family follows them."

He shrugged. "I guess you could say _my_ family doesn't really like much, including Quidditch.... But they're just a load of idiots in my opinion, really."

Now James really got a laugh at that – "But Quidditch is the best game!" – and at James' outburst, he laughed along with James, perhaps out of embarrassment. "Seriously, though. But did you hear about Joscelind Wadcock?"

"No, no I didn't", the boy said, still with a broad, amused grin. "What happened to her?"

James told him about the latest Puddlemere news, all of which he used to get from his Dad, every morning at the breakfast table. The two boys talked and joked for around half an hour, and with every turn of the conversation, James began to like this guy even more.

* * *

After a while, the door opened again, but it wasn't the trolley this time. Another boy with long black hair and a wonky nose rushed in to sit opposite of the girl. He had already changed into his robes hours ahead of schedule, and his expression was vaguely irritated. Immediately, he and the girl started arguing about something; James decided he wasn't that interested in their conversation, so he continued to talk on about Puddlemere United.

Then, he heard the new boy say something about being in Slytherin house. "Slytherin?" James chided. "Who would want to go there?" He laughed again, and turned to the guy in front of him, his new friend. "Ha, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

But he didn't find this funny. "My whole family's been in Slytherin," he said glumly.

"Wow, and I though you seemed all right!"

James' comment seemed to cheer him up. "Yeah, well, maybe I'll break the tradition. Where would you go, if you had the choice?"

Then, James dramatically waved an imaginary sword, like his Dad did when he talked about his old house. "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart! Like my dad."

The boy near the window made a noise of disapproval, as if James couldn't hear him. James faced him and said, "You got a problem with that?"

"Oh, no," the boy responded with a hint of sarcasm, though didn't look my way. "But if you'd rather be brawny than brainy...."

"Where're you going then, seeing as you're neither?" James was surprised to hear this coming from his new friend, but the comment caught James off guard and he let out a pretty hard laugh.

The girl didn't find this amusing, though – it did not improve her mood. "Come on, Severus," she said bluntly, not even looking at James or his friend. "Let's go find another compartment."

"Ooooooo..." Caught in the moment, James mocked her voice for being so stuck-up as they got up from their seats. "Hey, it was just a bit of fun –"

But as he said it, James stuck out his leg and tried to trip the wonky boy. He didn't seem phased, and quickly followed after the girl.

 _Some people can't take a joke,_ James thought.

The other boy's face was absolutely lit up with amusement as we took our seats again. "See you, Snivellus!" he yelled, as they shut the door behind them.

Still grinning madly, James asked him, "Hey mate, what's your name, anyway?"

"Sirius Black," he said after a moment of hesitation, almost as if he were ashamed, but he still continued to grin and stuck out a friendly hand to James.

"I'm James," James replied, shaking Sirius' hand. "James Potter." 

 


End file.
